Police Say Son Killed Cosmos Founder Koulakis

Tony Koulakis, the founder of Montreal’s famous breakfast restaurant Cosmos, was stabbed to death on June 22 around 3:30 a.m. in his duplex at Hufford Street in the north-end St-Laurent borough. A family member found him dead a few hours later, officials said. morning.

His 40-year-old son, Johnny Koulakis, was arrested and charged with the killing. Police said they are unclear about the motive and of the circumstances around the death.

The Montreal Gazette reported that neighbors described the suspect as a disturbed, “unnecessarily aggressive” and confrontational man and one said he had been threatened by him.

Tony Koulakis, who was 86 years old, was an immigrant from the Greek island of Crete and created one of Montreal’s most iconic breakfast restaurants, Cosmos, which became renowned for its diner cuisine.

He was described as a pleasant and entertaining figure with a lively, raspy voice. He had retired some years ago and his children had taken over the restaurant.

Tony was the subject of the documentary Man of Grease, which was filmed in 2000 by Ezra Soiferman. The documentary is about the life of the Greek-Montrealer who created what many consider an institution in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. The Toronto Sun said that Soiferman said he was “deeply saddened by the news. (Tony) was a true Montreal legend and I will miss him very much.”